MIRCOM Group of Companies (MGC), one of North America’s largest manufacturers of intelligent building and life safety solutions, will be introducing to the Gulf market a new intelligent fire alarm and suppression system at Project Qatar.

Based in Canada, its solutions span across fire detection, communications and security, mass notification, building automation, nurse call, and smart technologies.

“Mircom Group’s mission is to save lives and protect property by providing innovative and advanced solutions which are scalable to satisfy diverse user demands, from small buildings to the largest complexes,” Marsha Druker, marketing communications specialist of Mircom Group of Companies tells Gulf Construction.

Project Qatar will see the launch of Mircom’s new FX-3500 Series on the Gulf market. The series includes powerful and intelligent fire alarm control units that support system sensor Advanced Protocol (AP) as well as their Classic Loop Interface Protocol (CLIP) devices.

The FX-3500 Series is recommended for both new and retrofit special-hazard, critical infrastructure suppression, and special agent applications. Programming versatility makes the units the ideal choice for dependable fire detection, signalling and protection in industrial, commercial and institutional buildings, she says.

The FX-3500 control units are compact in size, yet powerful enough to deliver complex programming requirements. The units are fully expandable, provide up to three addressable signal line circuits (SLCs) and connect up to 954 addressable devices or points. Moreover, FX-3500 systems can be operational with minimal set-up time and can be configured using an onsite laptop or through a remote PC via an on-board modem.

The control units are UL 864Rev 9 and ULC S527-2011 listed for fire control and releasing service.

“When designing the FX-3500 Series, we listened to the voice of customers and integrated requested features such as an intelligent releasing system, built-in dialler, local USB, and remote programming capabilities. The solution line-up is sure to meet the multi-faceted needs of customers,” says Druker.

Other flagship solutions that will be promoted at Project Qatar include Mircom’s FleX-Net and Open Graphic Navigator (Open GN).

The FleX-Net series network fire alarm control panels offer modular components to meet a wide variety of applications. Designed for peer-to-peer network communications, the series allows for a maximum of 63 nodes, while providing reliability, flexibility and expandability, she says.

Commenting on its features and benefits, Druker says it is an integrated, multi-modal solution comprising a robust stable network topology with redundant survivability; it offers real-time multi-lingual/multi-audience messaging capability; and supports framing customised warning messages. The FleX-Net also reduces cost and operational complexity by eliminating multiple custom software interfaces to warning sources and dissemination systems.

Palm Jumeirah monorail ... a Mircom project.

Mircom’s Open GN is an award-winning and powerful 3D graphics-based building systems monitoring tool that gives unprecedented visualisation of on-premise emergencies, she points out.

“Firefighters and first responders rely on this tactical display to instantly assess dangers and threats in a facility compromised by terrorists or weather emergencies. Open GN creates safer, more intelligent buildings everywhere,” Druker adds.

Open GN offers a building-ready monitoring control system with full software management in a user-friendly graphical enabled interface. It provides easy configuration and customisation of alarm devices; a customisable fire annunciation graphical icons to provide site-specific representation; while its custom alarm and system status messaging instantly informs building administrators of events and alarms.

Open GN’s custom colour graphical icons depict up to 500,000 addressable devices and extensive event logging of up to 500,000 events with status notations for report customisation.

The Open GN was awarded the gold medal in the smart systems category of the 2013 Edison Awards, which are among the most prestigious accolades honouring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design and innovation.

Mircom, which participated in last year’s Project Qatar, is returning this year because the event provides some excellent networking, business, and learning opportunities for all involved, according to Druker. “Project Qatar attracts key buyers and industry leaders from all over the world, allowing us to showcase MGC’s brands and products to a wide and diverse audience.”

She says last year’s event provided a unique opportunity to both exhibitors and attendees to learn about new products and explore new ideas for the future of the construction industry.

“The show proved to be a fantastic networking opportunity. We had some good foot traffic at our stand, with queries from key clients and industry leaders of the Doha market,” she says.

In terms of business, 2013 was another excellent year for Mircom, during which continued its recent trend of double-digit growth with strength in all geographies and product categories. Moreover, company has received a number of awards, namely, Canada’s Best Managed Companies (2012 and 2013), in addition to the Edison Award for its Open GN solution.

Druker says the company’s high growth stems from research and development (R&D) and new product development, geographic expansion, acquisitions, and increasing brand awareness. Some important developments over the past two years include Mircom having acquired a new business with a nurse call solution, which it now carries under its own brand MiCare.

Also, Mircom is in the process of launching new solutions as part of its TX3 Platform – TX3 InSuite and TX3 Community.

“The TX3 InSuite and TX3 Community work together with other TX3 Platform offerings to provide a unified solution for multi-residential intelligent buildings, changing the way property developers, managers, and end-users interface with their homes and their communities,” says Druker.

Mircom has supplied to several projects in the region including the Hurghada International Airport, the latest airport in Egypt. It’s package worth $300,000 has included Flex-Net, Open GN with English/Arabic display, BMS (building management systems) control and fibre optics modems which it supplied through its distributor Teco. The project is currently in the final stages of commissioning and set-up.

It has also supplied to ongoing projects such as Sharjah University; Phase One of Etihad Railway, which is scheduled to be complete in this December and the Labour City in Doha, Qatar, which is due for completion in June.

Other projects supplied to by Mircom include Palm Jumeirah monorail stations and Ajman Palace Hotel both in the UAE and the Kuwait National Assembly One and Two. Looking ahead, Druker says the company will continue to focus on building its traditional fire detection solutions and expanding on complementary and related smart technologies.

“We have plans to open more Mircom ES offices in the US and globally in the future. We’re always on the look-out for complementary business we can acquire or partner with. Additionally, this spring, we’re starting construction on an extension at our corporate head office and manufacturing facility, which will be bringing us to 100,000 sq ft.”

The Mircom Group of Companies was established on in 1991 in Vaughan (Toronto), Canada. It also has an office by the banner of MGC Systems International in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone in the UAE.

MGC can be visited at the Canada Pavilion at Project Qatar.